Monthly Archives: August 2016

Roister

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Upstairs Dining Area

Downstairs Prep Kitchen and Counter

Grilled Sourdough Toast with Cheese and Cauliflower

Green Tomato Gaspacho

Oysters

Cantaloupe and Trout Roe with Dehydrated Cheese and Buttermilk Jalapeno Dressing and Breadcrumbs

Slaw Salad

Shrimp with Crab Etoufee

Salmon and Spinach

Fried Chicken!

Milk Ice Cream with Dehydrated Mint and Frozen Strawberry Ice and Strawberry Gel

***** (5 stars)

This new offering from Grant Achatz far exceeded our expectations, which were already high. The trick to a good experience here is to sit at the downstairs prep kitchen counter, which offers a far quieter experience than upstairs, and a bargain 8-course tasting menu for a mere $85.

Every course was a home run, and there wasn’t a single course that wasn’t better than everything we’ve had this year on sister Restaurant Next’s tasting menus for far more money.

There’s a creative cocktail list, and an extensive menu of wines by the glass, so it’s easy to assemble your own pairing.

Service is friendly and knowledgeable, and it’s fun to watch your meal assembled before your eyes.

Roister
951 W Fulton Market
Chicago, IL 60607

http://www.yelp.com/biz/roister-chicago-2

itar Bistro Market

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**** (4 stars)

Even though this place is only a few blocks away from my office I managed to overlook it for more than a year, probably due to its lack of visibility and low traffic location, which has done in more than a few nearby restaurants. But they certainly weren’t hurting for business on the Tuesday lunch when we visited, and I can see why.

The concept is an unlikely combination of Italian and Argentine food, hence the name.

Everything we had was quite good. We chose to order items from the dinner menu, so it wasn’t inexpensive, but there are plenty of appealing lunch specials for well under ten dollars.

The highlight of our meal was definitely the molito malbec, a wonderful tenderloin steak in a rich malbec and mushroom sauce. It was one of the better pieces of beef I’ve had in Orlando, and I’m including the area’s top steakhouses in that assessment. It was well worth the $29 price tag.

Not quite as good but only half the price was the Churrasco, a marinated and grilled skirt steak.

We also had a sausage appetizer, and liked the regular sausage better than the blood sausage, which is an acquired taste that I haven’t yet acquired.

Accompaniments included mashed potatoes, fries, and a green salad, all of which were just okay.

I like the airy atmosphere and cool light fixtures. There’s also a small grocery section that sells mostly Italian foods, and a wall of wines by the bottle.

Service was friendly and not rushed.

itar Bistro Market
7065 Westpointe Bvd
Ste 100
Orlando, FL 32835
(407) 757-0553
http://www.yelp.com/biz/itar-bistro-market-orlando